"Proud, extreme, volatile…"
Sitting on the stone step outside Ollivanders, basking in the warm afternoon sun, Vaughn slowly turned his newly chosen elder wand between his fingers.
Ollivander's murmured warning from minutes earlier echoed in his mind.
"Dragon heartstring rarely rejects any form of magic, Mr. Vaughn Weasley. It is not as resistant to the Dark Arts as unicorn hair, nor as restrained as phoenix feather.
It perfects, amplifies, and glorifies whatever spell you cast."
"But it is also the most temperamental of all wand cores—and when paired with elder wood?
Elder wands are born striving for the peak. They crave greatness."
"There is an old belief that elder wands bring misfortune. I do not entirely agree.
But if a wand's master loses their extraordinary destiny… loses strength… or suffers defeat…"
"The wand may abandon you."
"You've surely heard of the Elder Wand. The Tales of Beedle the Bard calls it a fairy tale, but its traits are accurate.
An elder wand truly belongs to no one."
Vaughn traced the wand's knotted grain. The elder wood was warm—almost alive—thrumming softly as it resonated with his magic, eager and impatient.
"So," Vaughn murmured, "will you abandon me too?"
The wand did not answer.
"Meow."
Guoguo Tea, sprawled across his lap, lifted her head and licked his chin, as if offering comfort. Vaughn laughed and scratched behind her ears. The enormous cat leaned into his touch, purring deeply.
Worried?
Hardly.
The conditions Ollivander listed were simple enough to avoid.
Lose his unique fate?
Only if another transmigrator appeared.
Lose strength?
Then he would simply grow stronger.
Be defeated?
Impossible.
Besides, Ollivander had spoken cautiously, hiding truth beneath "fairy tale" disclaimers.
Vaughn knew better.
The real Elder Wand existed. It had followed Gellert Grindelwald through revolution, then remained obedient in Albus Dumbledore's hands for decades. It had never abandoned either wizard.
Grindelwald fell by choice.
Dumbledore died by choice.
In the end, a wand was a tool.
A powerful one—but not a deciding force.
"If you crave strength that badly," Vaughn murmured softly, "then one day, I'll let you face the Elder Wand itself."
He smiled and slid the wand into his holster—
Just as the shop door burst open.
After a symphony of crashes and sparks, Ron strode out triumphantly.
"Fourteen inches! Willow! Unicorn hair! Brilliant!" Ron declared loudly. "I made almost every box float at once! Shame you missed it, Vaughn!"
He looked absurdly proud—utterly transformed from the boy who'd been shrieking and clinging to Molly barely fifteen minutes earlier.
Owning something new—something that wasn't a hand-me-down—had inflated him like a balloon.
Until Vaughn asked sweetly, "Did you buy a wand holster?"
Ron froze.
"You know," Vaughn continued mildly, "wands are delicate. And you'll need wand polish too. A proper kit costs at least a few Sickles."
Ron's shoulders slumped.
"And… Halloween's coming up," Vaughn added thoughtfully. "We exchange gifts then. Some people might not be receiving one this year…"
Ron's breath hitched.
Pride wrestled stubbornly with temptation.
He lost.
By the time Molly finished chatting with Ollivander—middle-aged witches were unstoppable once small talk began—the Weasleys finally left Diagon Alley.
The shopping trip had been perfect.
For everyone except Ron.
They returned home via the Floo Network. Throughout the afternoon, owls delivered boxes, parcels, and cages—including Guoguo Tea, who could not travel by fireplace.
Vaughn received the rest of his school supplies… and the sweets he'd bought for Ginny.
She threw her arms around him, kissed his cheek, and immediately ran off to share treats with Guoguo Tea.
From the moment she met the "little kitty"—little being a generous term—Ginny adored her. After Guoguo Tea rubbed against her, recognising Vaughn's scent, Ginny proudly escorted the cat through the entire house, declaring she was "showing her the territory."
Ron sank into despair.
He spent the entire day hiding in his room, terrified to let Scabbers out.
But the next dawn—
Guoguo Tea found him anyway.
The massive cat caught Scabbers on the second-floor windowsill. Somehow, the rat had opened Ron's window himself, tail wrapped around several biscuits—apparently attempting an escape.
A perfectly timed Stunning Spell from above ended that plan instantly.
Scabbers went limp.
A perfect toy.
Ron discovered the disaster when he woke to use the bathroom. His screams shook the house as he found the half-plucked, barely alive rat.
When he tried to chase Guoguo Tea away, Ginny charged him, tiny fists swinging, until he retreated in defeat.
After that, Ron nailed every window shut and begged Arthur to build a proper rat cage.
From then on, whenever Vaughn passed the fourth floor with Guoguo Tea, he would spot Ron peering through a crack in his door like a paranoid criminal.
Frankly… it was unsettling.
The only peace Ron ever had was during Vaughn's twice-monthly potion-brewing sessions, when Vaughn locked himself in the attic and Guoguo Tea stayed with him.
Those were Ron's happiest days.
As for Scabbers?
Vaughn barely cared.
He only needed to make sure the rat didn't escape.
While waiting for school to begin, Vaughn's routine continued unchanged.
Every half-month, he brewed potions.
In between, he practiced spells.
He'd been studying from his brothers' old textbooks and experimenting with discarded wands since the age of eight.
Progress was… uneven.
Self-study lacked proper guidance.
Arthur and Molly were busy.
Percy was too self-absorbed.
Fred and George?
Forget it.
Vaughn still remembered—from reading the books in his previous life—that the twins, two years older than Harry Potter, had needed Harry to teach them Expelliarmus.
Absurd.
Time passed.
And finally—
September 1st arrived.
(End of Chapter )
PS :
Elder Wand – Legendary Deathly Hallow, widely regarded as the most powerful wand ever made.
Dragon Heartstring – Wand core that amplifies spell power and ambition.
Gellert Grindelwald – Dark wizard and former master of the Elder Wand.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard – Wizarding storybook containing legends such as the Deathly Hallows.
Floo Network – Magical transportation system using fireplaces.
Stunning Spell (Stupefy) – Spell that renders a target unconscious.
Willow Wood – Wand wood known for flexibility and resilience